|
EAGLE RIVER CHAIN OFFERS MULTI-SPECIES ACTION
By YUKON JACK
Our summer visitors that come for fishing action, will find that the Eagle River chain of Lakes offers the opportunity to catch a variety of fish specie. Musky, northern, large mouth bass, small mouth bass, walleye, perch, crappie and bluegill can all be caught on these bodies of water. Those visitors that vacation on a body of water and do not have their own boat or those that do not wish to move their boat to another body of water can have it all on the chain. All of these fish specie can be caught on any of the ten lakes on the chain. Lets take a look at each of these fish specie and how and where to find them.
We’ll start with the king of the fresh water fish; the musky. Equipment need is a six and one half to eight foot heavy musky rod equipped with a bait casting reel spooled with fifty pound no-stretch line. Tie on a seven-strand leader with a cross lock snap swivel. Make sure that the strand is tied and not secured with crimps. Lures can be bucktails, shallow and deep running plugs, surface baits and jerk baits. A huge landing net would be best to complete your equipment list. Bucktails can be used throughout the entire season. In the early season, fish with shallow running plugs and fish the shallow weeds and weed edges. Smaller baits in the early season seem to produce more action than larger lures. When the young ducks show up the surface baits are a good choice. As the summer progresses, move to the deeper weed edges and deeper water using the deep running plugs and jerk baits. When fall arrives and turnover occurs the fish start moving to deeper water. Live suckers are used by many musky hunters and the deeper running plugs and jerk baits produce results. Look for the deeper holes in the lakes for best action.
Surprisingly, many fishermen enjoy northern fishing and pound for pound the northern will offer a tougher fight than the musky. The tackle can be the same as for musky and leaders are necessary because they are as toothy as a musky. Northern patterns are similar to early season musky and they have a tendency to spend the entire summer in this same pattern. Northern like weeds.
Bass are a fun fish to try for and to catch. Largemouth bass like weeds and they relate to this pattern most of the summer. Follow the weeds as they grow to deeper depths. Smallmouth, on the other hand, relate to rocks and hard bottoms, so find this structure and work it for action. Keep in mind that, from the general fishing opener through the Saturday closest to the twenth of June, it is catch and release only. This is the spawning period and these fish are all found in shallow water. To determine if fish are in the area, look for spawning beds. Equipment for these fish is a medium-weight bait casting rod and reel. Many of the new fishermen are going to using the same spinning rods and reels that they use for fishing walleye with a medium light fast tip rod and a reel spooled with six or eight pound test monofilament line. Tie your hook or artificial lure directly to the line. A number four hook, split shot and leech is the best for live bait. Use of any floating lure twitched in the early season, and tube jigs are excellent lures.
Walleye are perhaps the most pursued fish specie in Wisconsin. The chain is loaded with this fish specie so much so that they are over abundant for the food resource. Therefore, there is a slot size that must be released (14-18 inches). This means that the DNR wants many of the smaller walleye harvested to reduce the fish numbers. A medium light fast tip rod, six and one half to seven feet long with a matching reel spooled with six or eight pound test line is ideal. I prefer a two-piece rod in a shorter rod case for ease in travel. Terminal tackle is fairly simple with one-sixteenth ounce jigs in from shallow water to twelve foot depths on calm days. Use one eighth ounce jigs for windy days or deeper water. In the fall I go to one quarter ounce jigs for the deep-hole fishing. I like to use fathead minnows from ice out to ice up and smaller bait in the early season. Go to larger minnows as the season progresses. In early May, fish the shallow new growth weeds and as the season progresses move deeper to continually fish the deeper weed edges. A Twister tail on a jig is also effective for harvesting walleye. Remember that it is very important to keep your bait constantly in contact with the bottom. Crank baits are rarely used on the chain as it is not legal to motor troll in Vilas County and nearly all lakes in the county have musky. In the fall and especially after turnover, fish the deepest holes in the lakes as the walleye move to these holes for the winter. They do move to shallow water to feed but then retreat back to the deep holes.
Panfish, perch, crappie and bluegills provide great action for kids, novices and even the experienced fishermen and are great table fare. The equipment for these fish is simple and not very expensive. An ultra light rod, and reel spooled with four pound test line completes the major tackle. Terminal tackle can include number eight hooks, split shot and a bobber for live bait. Now you’re ready to go. Live bait can be garden worms, nightcrawlers or small leaches. Wigglers will also work for these three fish specie. Artificial lures would include Minimites for bluegills and perch and Northland tackles firefly jigs for crappies. These artificial lures can be fished with bobbers. Keep in mind that crappies suspend off the bottom so keep your lures one to two feet off the bottom in shallow water. I have seen crappie suspended fifteen feet down in thirty feet of water, but generally these panfish are found in three to eight feet of water throughout the open water season.
This should give you a good start and keep in mind that if you’re going to eat these fish, use Yukon’s breading to enhance the taste. If you have trouble catching fish also consider hiring a guide for first hand fishing instruction.
Keep a tight line
Yukon
715-479-3219
www.yukonjackegv.com
| 
